West Berkeley is for artists, gardeners, bargain hunters In
Berkeley's version of the perennial town-versus-gown rivalry, the
area west of San Pablo Avenue has always waved the town banner most
enthusiastically. The town actually took root here, under the name of
Ocean View, 20 years before the University of California opened in 1873.
From the beginning, West Berkeley has maintained an industrial identity
that's acted as a gritty counterweight to Berkeley's more
ethereal leanings.

Before the last 10 years or so, there wasn't much to attract
outsiders to the area. But amid the faceless factories and warehouses
now are intriguing and unusual shops, restaurants, and artistic
ventures--if you know where to look. Our map identifies four clusters
of such attractions. One area--Fourth Street--stands out for its
remarkable concentration of places selling goods for the home and
garden, making it a rewarding destination for the homeowner flush with
enthusiasm for home improvement. The others are worth shorter stops:
bargain hunters can rummage through clothes and other discounted goods
at a number of factory outlets; and you can even take in a play, or see
bronze sculpture being cast. In each area, cozy cafes or first-rate
restaurants give you places to rest from your explorations.

Furnishings for indoors and out

Fourth Street Center, a small-scale development north of Hearst
Avenue begun in 1978, has become a mecca for homeowners seeking
tastefully innovative furnishings. It houses stores specializing in
brass fixtures for every room, light fixtures of all shapes and sizes,
window frames, imported linens, and futons.

The Gardener, in the center at 1836 Fourth, offers a particularly
appealing environment for browsing through unusual furniture, tableware,
decorative items, and, yes, garden tools and books. Across the street
at 1817, Builders Booksource is a trove of information for
do-it-yourselfers and those with more conceptual interests in
architecture and design.

Other interesting stores in Fourth Street Center include
Elica's Papers, where you can buy exquisite handmade Japanese
paper; Plate & Pallette, filled with folk art and functional objects
from more than 50 countries; and Hearthsong, which sells toys that
encourage creativity. At Carolyn Clements, which sells men's and
women's clothing, you won't find many bargains, but you
won't find its hand-loomed sweaters and other casually elegant
items in department stores, either.

Just north of Fourth Street Center, at 1785, is Crate &
Barrel's only outlet store in California. It sells kitchenware,
drinking glasses, and some furniture at varying discounts; most of the
items are seasonally discontinued from the regular stores.

Across the street at 1716, Sweet Potatoes factory outlet sells
past-season and seconds of its playful sportswear for children.

Fourth Street Grill (1820) was one of the pioneer purveyors of the
artfully presented mesquite-grilled meat and fish that came to be known
as California cuisine. Southwest art adorns the walls, and natural
light floods the restaurant on sunny days. Reservations are
recommended; call (415) 849-0526.

O Chame (1830) looks to Japan for both its culinary inspiration and
interior design. For lunch, you can order Japanese-style salmon curry;
the dinner menu might include river eel served on tea-flavored rice.
Bento box lunches are sold from a painted cart outside.

Bette's Oceanview Diner (1807A) has its own homey style.
Chrome, red vinyl, and a jukebox create a '50s atmosphere. It
offers traditional American fare for breakfast and lunch, with some
contemporary flourishes.

Finds near 10th and Gilman

Pots, Wellingtons, Japanese shears, and English forks and spades
are arrayed under the high rafters of the former Canada Dry bottling
plant's northeast corner, where Smith & Hawken, the Mill
Valley-based garden supply company, recently opened its biggest and
best-stocked store yet. Many of the items fetch full retail price,
though overstocked clothing is sold at the Berkeley store for a
discount.

The inconspicuous doorway of the Berkeley Antique and Collectibles
Mall (1370 10th) opens into a surprisingly large space filled with
furniture, books and magazines, and memorabilia from the Victorian era
through the 1940s, sold by 40 dealers at reasonable prices.

As in many other industrial areas, artists were among the first
people to find new uses for West Berkeley's old factories and
warehouses. In 8th Street Center, a former mattress factory, members of
the artists' collectives EarthWorks (2547 Eighth Street) and
Sawtooth Studios (2501 Eighth) fashion clay and textiles. With other
businesses in the complex--including a candlemaker and importers selling
Southeast Asian folk art and Swedish crystal--the studios will be open
for a spring sale May 5, 6, 11, and 12.

You can flip through discounted self-help legal books at the Nolo
Press bookstore, in a former clock factory on the southwest corner of
Parker and Ninth streets.

Westside Bakery Cafe, 2570 Ninth Street, is open for breakfast and
lunch. It's a comfortably bustling place to peruse the East Bay
Express while noshing on a pastry or salami-gorgonzola sandwich.

On Heinz Avenue: art, theater, plants

Artworks Foundry, 729 Heinz Avenue, #5, bridges the gap between
industry and art. Tucked away in the Berkeley Industrial Complex, it
casts bronze sculptures ranging from miniature to monumental for local
and international artists. Visitors are welcome to look on when the
molten bronze is poured into molds, usually Wednesday mornings; call
644-2735 to confirm. The foundry also has a gallery.

Unusual and hard-to-find perennials suitable for Western gardens
are the specialty at Magic Gardens nursery, 729 Heinz Avenue, which
forms an oasis of greenery in the industrial complex.

Across the street at 820 Heinz Avenue, Pacific Jewish Theatre
resides in a converted spice warehouse, where it performs plays
pertaining to Jewish themes in an intimate 175-seat theater. Barbara
Lebow's A Shayna Maidel opens June 5; call the box office at
849-0550.

Little Louie's, 800 Heinz Avenue, in the art deco-style
Durkee's Building (surprisingly attractive for a one-time margarine
factory), serves pastries and espresso in the morning, huge sandwiches
and burgers for lunch.

COPYRIGHT 1991 Sunset Publishing Corp.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.